Wendy Davis (politician)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Wendy Russell Davis (born Wendy Jean Russell; May 16, 1963) is an American lawyer and
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
politician from
Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
. Davis represented the 10th district in the
Texas Senate The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per cons ...
from 2009 to 2015. She previously served on the Fort Worth City Council. On June 25, 2013, Davis held a thirteen-hour-long
filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking out ...
to block Senate Bill 5, a measure which included more restrictive
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
regulations for Texas. The filibuster played a major role in Senate Democrats' success in delaying passage of the bill beyond the midnight deadline for the end of the
legislative session A legislative session is the period of time in which a legislature, in both parliamentary and presidential systems, is convened for purpose of lawmaking, usually being one of two or more smaller divisions of the entire time between two elections. ...
, though it ultimately passed in a second session. The filibuster brought Davis national attention, leading to speculation about a run for
governor of Texas The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...
. She subsequently ran for governor of Texas in 2014, but was defeated by Republican Party nominee
Greg Abbott Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 50th Tex ...
by 59% to 38%. On July 22, 2019, Davis announced she would run for
Texas's 21st congressional district Texas's 21st congressional district of the United States House of Representatives serves the area north of San Antonio and a significant portion of Austin in the state of Texas. Towns entirely or partially in this district include Boerne, Frede ...
in 2020. She lost the election to Republican
Chip Roy Charles Eugene "Chip" Roy (born August 7, 1972) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's . A member of the Republican Party, Roy took office on January 3, 2019. Before his election to Congress, he s ...
.


Early life, education, and family

Wendy Davis was born Wendy Jean Russell in
West Warwick, Rhode Island West Warwick is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,012 at the 2020 census. West Warwick was incorporated in 1913, making it the youngest town in the state. Prior to 1913, the town, situated on the wester ...
, the daughter of Virginia "Ginger" (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Stovall) and Jerry Russell. Her family moved to
Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
in 1973, when she was 10 years old. When Russell was 13, her parents divorced. Her father quit his job to pursue work in community theater, leading his child support payments to evaporate. Her mother, who had a ninth grade education, supported her four children by working menial jobs. When Davis was 17 and still in high school, she moved in with her boyfriend, construction worker Frank Underwood. In 1981, she graduated from Richland High School as a member of the
National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization for high school students in the United States and outlying territories, which consists of many chapters in high schools. Selection is based on four criteria: scholarship (academic achi ...
. She married Underwood on January 24, 1982, and gave birth to her first daughter, Amber, later that year. When she was 19, she and Underwood separated. She filed for divorce from Underwood in December 1983, and the divorce became official on May 22, 1984, when she was 21. She was given custody of Amber, with Underwood paying child support. Davis attended
University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas. The university was founded in 1895 and was in the Texas A&M University System for several decades until joining the University of Te ...
for one semester, but left the school for financial reasons. While waiting tables in 1983, she was introduced by her father to lawyer and former city councilman Jeffry R. Davis, who would become her second husband. The couple eventually married on May 30, 1987 and settled in a historic home in the Mistletoe Heights neighborhood of Fort Worth. Davis attended a two-year
paralegal A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law. The market for paralegals i ...
program at
Tarrant County College Tarrant County College (TCC) or Tarrant County College District (TCCD) is a public community college in Tarrant County, Texas. It offers Associate of Arts, an Associate of Science, an Associate of Applied Science, and Associate of Arts in Teachi ...
from 1984 to 1986. She enrolled at
Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples ...
(TCU) in 1986 on an academic scholarship and a Pell Grant. Following her second marriage, her husband began to make significant financial contributions to her education. He would ultimately adopt her daughter, Amber. A second daughter, Dru, was born in September 1988. Davis underwent abortions for two later pregnancies that would not survive and/or would kill her: one (whom she named "Lucas") due to an ectopic
tubal pregnancy Tubal ( he, תֻבָל, ''Ṯuḇāl'', ), in Genesis 10 (the "Table of Nations"), was the name of a son of Japheth, son of Noah. He is known to be the father of the Caucasian Iberians (ancestors of the Georgians) according to primary sources ...
and another (whom she named "Tate Elise") due to the fetus suffering from Dandy–Walker syndrome. In May 1990, Davis graduated from TCU with a
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
. That autumn, she relocated to
Lexington, Massachusetts Lexington is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown Boston. The population was 34,454 as of the 2020 census. The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans, and was firs ...
, with her daughters to attend
Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...
. This living situation proved untenable; after four months, her daughters returned to Texas to live with her husband. Davis's mother helped to care for her daughters, and Davis flew back to Texas regularly to visit her family for the remainder of her time at Harvard. While at Harvard, she volunteered at a legal clinic for the poor, where she helped
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
patients write
living will ''Living Will'' is an American comedy film starring Ryan Dunn, Gerard Haitz and April Scott. Cast *Ryan Dunn - Belcher *Gerard Haitz - Will *April Scott - Krista Production In 2011, the domestic distribution rights to the film were purchased ...
s and surviving partners with their legal rights. In May 1993, she earned her J.D. degree ''
cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
'', and she was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in November 1993. In November 2003, Jeff and Wendy Davis separated. When the divorce settlement was finalized in 2005, the former couple shared "joint
conservatorship Under U.S. law, conservatorship is the appointment of a guardian or a protector by a judge to manage the financial affairs and/or daily life of another person due to old age or physical or mental limitations. A person under conservatorship is a " ...
" over Dru, who primarily lived with her father in the family home; Wendy Davis agreed to pay $1,200 a month in child support.


Law career

After graduating from law school, Davis was
law clerk A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person, generally someone who provides direct counsel and assistance to a lawyer or judge by researching issues and drafting legal opinions for cases before the court. Judicial clerks often play significant ...
to U.S. District Judge Jerry Buchmeyer of the Northern District of Texas in
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
from 1993 to 1994. She worked as an attorney at Haynes & Boone (practicing litigation). In 1999, Davis's then-husband, Jeff Davis, started Safeco Title Co. of Fort Worth, Texas, and she became part owner. The title company was sold to First American Title as part of their divorce decree, and Davis continued to work at the Fort Worth branch of First American Title until 2009. Davis was of counsel at Cantey Hanger from March 2010 to December 31, 2013. She partnered with Brian Newby to open Newby Davis, PLLC in March 2010. During her time working for the Safeco title company, Davis was paid an annual salary of $40,000 by her husband Jeff Davis. Jeff Davis told
Robert Draper Robert Draper (born November 15, 1959) is an American journalist, and author of '' Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of Representatives''. He is a correspondent for '' GQ'' and a contributor to ''The New York Times Magazine''. Pre ...
of the ''
New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. ...
'' that he paid her the salary for her work for the city of Fort Worth as a council member, a job that paid little.


Political career


City Council

Davis first ran for the Fort Worth City Council in 1996, but was defeated by ninety votes. After her defeat, Davis sued the ''
Fort Worth Star-Telegram The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company. History In May 1905, Amon G. Carter acc ...
'',
American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...
, and the
Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, which at the time owned the ''Star-Telegram'' and ABC. ''
The Texas Tribune ''The Texas Tribune'' is a news website headquartered in Austin, Texas. It aims to promote civic engagement through original, explanatory journalism and public events. Its website and content in various delivery platforms serve as an alternativ ...
'' stated that she alleged "that biased coverage led to her defeat and caused injury to her physical and
mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
". Her claims were rejected by the Texas courts, based upon the ''Star-Telegram's'' First Amendment free speech grounds. Subsequently, in 1999, Davis was elected to the Fort Worth City Council. During her nine-year tenure there, Davis focused on transportation, economic development, and neighborhood issues. She also worked on economic development projects, such as the
Montgomery Plaza Montgomery Plaza is a shopping mall and luxury condominium project located on W. 7th Street just west of downtown Fort Worth, Texas, United States near West 7th Fort Worth. History Construction In 1928, Montgomery Ward located its regional retai ...
renovation, the Tower, Pier One and
Radio Shack RadioShack, formerly RadioShack Corporation, is an American retailer founded in 1921. At its peak in 1999, RadioShack operated over 8,000 worldwide stores named RadioShack or Tandy Electronics in the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Austra ...
campuses.


Republican politics

While serving on the Fort Worth City Council, Davis voted in Republican primaries. (Municipal elections in Texas are nonpartisan, so her affiliation was not indicated on the ballot when she ran for City Council.) Davis has said that she was then a Republican because she liked Republican
Congresswoman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
Kay Granger Norvell Kay Granger (; born January 18, 1943) is an American Republican politician from the U.S. state of Texas. She has represented the state's 12th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997. She has been the ranki ...
of Fort Worth, and she wanted to vote on judicial nominees in Republican primaries. She voted in the Republican primaries in 1996, 1998 and 2006 and she has given $1,500 to Granger. Also, in April 1999, she gave $250 to
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
's first presidential campaign.


State Senate

In 2008, running as a Democrat, Davis narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Senator
Kim Brimer Kenneth Kimberlin Brimer Jr., known as Kim Brimer (born 5 March 1945), is a Republican former member of the Texas State Senate from Fort Worth, Texas. He represented District 10. He was the only GOP member of the 31-member chamber to have been ...
for Texas's 10th Senate district, which includes portions of
Tarrant County, Texas Tarrant County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, it had a population of 2,110,640. It is Texas' third-most populous county and the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County, one of 2 ...
, despite a legal challenge against her candidacy by the state Republican Party. Davis was re-elected in 2012, defeating a challenge from Mark M. Shelton, a Fort Worth
pediatrician Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...
and Republican member of the
Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...
, who would seek the 10th district seat again in 2014. Davis was the vice-chair on the Senate Select Committee on Open Government. She was also a Member of the Senate Committee on Economic Development, the Senate Committee on Transportation, and the Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee. She had previously served on the Senate Committee for Education and as vice-chair on the Senate Committee on International Relations and Trade. On May 29, 2011, Davis launched a
filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking out ...
of a budget bill that cut $4 billion from public education in the state, resulting in a special session called by Texas Gov.
Rick Perry James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 and as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. Perry also ran unsuccessfully for the Republica ...
. In 2009, ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
'' named her "Rookie of the Year". She was also chosen by the readers of ''
Fort Worth Weekly ''Fort Worth Weekly'' is an alternative weekly newspaper that serves the Greater Fort Worth area (all of Tarrant County and some of Denton County). The newspaper has an approximate circulation of 35,000. It is published every Wednesday and featur ...
'' as the "Best Servant of the People". In January 2012, Davis was listed among "12 State Legislators to Watch in 2012" by ''Governing'' magazine and was mentioned as a possible candidate for statewide races. Early in the 83rd Session, senators drew for terms in a post-redistricting, once-a-decade process. Davis drew a two-year term and was up for re-election in November 2014. In March 2013, she announced her intention to run for re-election to the Senate. On October 3, 2013, she changed her mind and announced a candidacy for
governor of Texas The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...
instead of re-election to the State Senate.


2013 filibuster

On June 25, 2013, Davis performed a
filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking out ...
to block Senate Bill 5, a proposal to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, require abortion clinics to meet the same standards that hospital-style surgical centers do, and mandate that a doctor who performs abortions have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. She attempted to hold the floor until midnight, when the Senate's special session ended, after which it would no longer be able to vote on the measure. Following an 11-hour filibuster—ending three hours short of midnight—Lieutenant Governor
David Dewhurst David Henry Dewhurst (born August 18, 1945) is an American politician, businessman, and attorney who served as the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Texas, serving from 2003 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he was the Texas Land Commissioner ...
ruled that Davis had gone off topic, forcing a vote on whether the filibuster could continue. Despite Republican efforts, parliamentary inquiries from Leticia R. Van de Putte and others as well as raucous cheering and yelling from the political activists gathered in the Capitol carried on through midnight and the close of the special session. Following the deadline, Republicans indicated that a vote had taken place and passed, while Democrats declared that the vote had taken place after midnight, making it void. Dewhurst later conceded that the bill was dead. The next day, Governor
Rick Perry James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 and as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. Perry also ran unsuccessfully for the Republica ...
called for a second special session to allow for another attempt to pass the abortion restrictions, as well as to address other issues. The bill was eventually passed by both the House and the Senate in the July 2013 second special session, prompting one commentator to state that "Wendy Davis won the battle, but
Rick Perry James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 and as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. Perry also ran unsuccessfully for the Republica ...
won the war." The bill was signed by Gov. Rick Perry on July 18, 2013. The filibuster attracted national attention, including from ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' and ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''. National fundraising by and speculation about a gubernatorial run for Davis also followed."Battleground Texas surpasses $1M"
''
Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...
'', July 15, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
She was encouraged to run by groups like
Battleground Texas Battleground Texas is a state and federal Political Action Committee (PAC) founded with the goal of making Texas a swing state. It was established by veteran political strategist Jeremy Bird. Establishment and background Battleground Texas was f ...
and
EMILY's List EMILY's List is an American political action committee (PAC) that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985. The group's name is an acronym for "Early Money ...
. During the filibuster, Davis wore hot pink sneakers known as Mizuno Wave Rider 16. Following the filibuster, the sneakers became "the bestselling shoe on Amazon.com and an unlikely feminist symbol". Davis's sneakers gained national attention.


Campaign for Governor of Texas

On October 3, 2013, Davis announced her intention to run for
Governor of Texas The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...
in the 2014 gubernatorial election. On March 4, 2014, she won the Democratic nomination with 432,065 votes (79.1 percent), defeating her only challenger, Reynaldo "Ray" Madrigal, who received 114,458 votes (20.9 percent). Davis was the first female nominee for Texas governor since the defeat of Gov.
Ann Richards Dorothy Ann Richards (née Willis; September 1, 1933 – September 13, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995. A Democrat, she first came to national attention as the Texas State Treasurer, ...
in 1994 by
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
. In the election on November 4, 2014, she lost to Republican nominee
Greg Abbott Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 50th Tex ...
, the then-outgoing
Texas Attorney General The Texas attorney general is the chief legal officer
of the
. In January 2014, Wayne Slater of ''
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...
'' reported that the personal history Davis had been sharing on the campaign trail "blurred" some facts. In particular, Slater said Davis did not divorce until she was 21 (not 19 as she had claimed), that she only lived in her family's mobile home for a few months after the divorce, and that she had been financially supported by her second husband while at TCU and Harvard. Davis acknowledged the errors and said, "My language should be tighter". Amid the controversy, Davis' daughters each released letters in defense of their mother. In August 2014, Davis released her first campaign ad, entitled "A Texas Story." The ad attacked her rival, Abbott, for a
Texas Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Texas (SCOTX) is the supreme court, court of last resort for civil matters (including juvenile delinquency cases, which are categorized as civil under the Texas Family Code) in the U.S. state of Texas. A different court, the ...
decision from which he had dissented. Diane Reese of ''The Washington Post'' called the advertisement "character assassination and fear-mongering". In October 2014, a Davis campaign ad was described by Aaron Blake of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' as "one of the nastiest campaign ads you will ever see." The ad attacked Abbott as being hypocritical for receiving monies from an accident which incapacitated him, and then, as attorney general, supporting litigation limits on such payments. ''
Mother Jones Mary G. Harris Jones (1837 (baptized) – November 30, 1930), known as Mother Jones from 1897 onwards, was an Irish-born American schoolteacher and dressmaker who became a prominent union organizer, community organizer, and activist. She h ...
'' called the ad "offensive and nasty". ''
MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
'' stated that the advertisement is probably "a hail mary effort" because Davis was trailing Abbott by double digits in the polls. In November 2014, ''
Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...
'' journalist Jenny Kutner reported that ''
American Thinker ''American Thinker'' is a daily online magazine dealing with American politics from a politically conservative viewpoint. It was founded in 2003 by attorney Ed Lasky, health-care consultant Richard Baehr, and sociologist Thomas Lifson, and ini ...
'' writer Deborah C. Tyler came up with a last-minute nickname for then-gubernatorial candidate Davis, a "gynecist", a term Kutner felt was meant to be derogatory by Tyler, but according to Kutner, "actually sounds kind of awesome once she starts describing what it means: Gynecism promotes the political position that the primary and most essential power a female can hold is the control of her own sexual and genital functions." On November 4, 2014, Davis lost the gubernatorial race to Abbott, 59%-38%. According to exit polls, she received the support of only 47% of female voters in Texas.


Campaign for Congress

On July 22, 2019, Davis announced her candidacy for the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
to represent
Texas's 21st congressional district Texas's 21st congressional district of the United States House of Representatives serves the area north of San Antonio and a significant portion of Austin in the state of Texas. Towns entirely or partially in this district include Boerne, Frede ...
against incumbent
Chip Roy Charles Eugene "Chip" Roy (born August 7, 1972) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's . A member of the Republican Party, Roy took office on January 3, 2019. Before his election to Congress, he s ...
. On November 3, 2020, Davis was defeated, winning two of the ten counties in the district.


Political positions

Upon examining Davis' voting record over her three terms in the Texas Senate, Mark P. Jones, the Chairman of the Department of Political Science at
Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...
in
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, concluded that Davis was the fourth most liberal senator out of the 31 state senators who served during at least two of the three terms during which Davis had served. Jones found that she was "significantly more liberal" than
John Whitmire John Harris Whitmire (born August 13, 1949) is an American Lawyer, attorney and politician who is the longest-serving current member of the Texas Legislature, Texas State Senate. Since 1983, he has represented Texas Senate, District 15, Distri ...
,
Juan Hinojosa Juan Jesus "Chuy" Hinojosa (born March 7, 1946) is a Democratic member of the Texas Senate representing the 20th District ( Corpus Christi–McAllen). Biographical information Born in McAllen, Texas, Hinojosa was a farm worker who worked his ...
,
Carlos Uresti Carlos "Charlie" Uresti (born September 18, 1963) is an American attorney and Democratic politician from San Antonio, Texas. From November 2006 until his resignation in June 2018, he served as a member of the Texas State Senate representing S ...
, and
Eddie Lucio Jr. Eduardo Andres Lucio Jr. (born January 20, 1946) is a Democratic politician who served in the Texas Senate, representing the 27th District from 1991 to 2023. Lucio also previously served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1987 to 1991 ...
, who represent the centrist wing of the Texas Senate Democrats, "significantly more conservative" than José R. Rodríguez, the most liberal Texas Senate Democrat, and "statistically indistinguishable" from the other six Texas Senate Democrats.


Abortion

In 2009 and 2011, Davis voted against a bill that requires physicians to perform a sonogram on and provide other information to abortion patients prior to an abortion. In 2011, she would also vote against a bill that requires an ultrasound prior to an abortion. On June 25, 2013, Davis held an eleven hour long
filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking out ...
to block Senate Bill 5, a measure which included more restrictive
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
regulations for Texas. The filibuster played a major role in Senate Democrats' efforts to delay passage of the bill beyond the midnight deadline for the end of the
legislative session A legislative session is the period of time in which a legislature, in both parliamentary and presidential systems, is convened for purpose of lawmaking, usually being one of two or more smaller divisions of the entire time between two elections. ...
, though the bill ultimately passed in a second session. In October 2013, Davis campaign spokesman Bo Delp said, "Like most Texans, Sen. Davis opposes late-term abortions except when the life or health of the mother is endangered, in cases of rape or incest or in the case of severe and irreversible fetal abnormalities". Also in October 2013,
EMILY's List EMILY's List is an American political action committee (PAC) that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985. The group's name is an acronym for "Early Money ...
endorsed Wendy Davis for governor in 2014. On February 11, 2014, Davis said that she would have supported a ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, if the law adequately deferred to a woman and her doctor. She said she found the ban on abortions after 20 weeks to be the "least objectionable" provision in the abortion bill she had filibustered during the previous year.


Gun rights

While on the Fort Worth City Council, Davis supported gun restrictions, including restrictions for gun shows at city facilities. On February 6, 2014, Davis expressed support for a proposed
open carry In the United States, open carry refers to the practice of visibly carrying a firearm in public places, as distinguished from concealed carry, where firearms cannot be seen by the casual observer. To "carry" in this context indicates that the fir ...
gun law in Texas, which was banned under Texas state law. She also said that background checks and training requirements would "help ensure that only mentally stable, law-abiding citizens" could carry weapons. She later said that she believed municipalities should be able to decide whether the proposed open carry and existing
concealed carry Concealed carry, or carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), is the practice of carrying a weapon (usually a sidearm such as a handgun), either in proximity to or on one's person or in public places in a manner that hides or conceals the weapon's pre ...
laws would apply within their boundaries. After losing the 2014 gubernatorial election, Davis stated that she opposed open carry laws.


LGBT rights

In 2000, Davis voted for Fort Worth's nondiscrimination ordinance based on sexual orientation. In January 2014,
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
endorsed Wendy Davis for governor. On February 13, 2014, she expressed support for same-sex marriage and said that
Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
Greg Abbott Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 50th Tex ...
, her presumed general-election opponent in the race for governor, should stop defending the state's ban on same-sex marriage.


Cannabis

On February 11, 2014, Davis expressed support for
decriminalizing Decriminalization or decriminalisation is the reclassification in law relating to certain acts or aspects of such to the effect that they are no longer considered a crime, including the removal of criminal penalties in relation to them. This reform ...
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
. She said she would back legislation to decrease criminal provisions for possession of small amounts of cannabis and believes
medical cannabis Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictions ...
should be left to the voters.


Electoral history


City council elections


1999


2003


2007


State Senate elections


2008


2012


2014 gubernatorial election


U.S. House of Representatives


Published works

*


References


Further reading

*


External links

* * *
State Sen. Wendy Davis
at ''
The Texas Tribune ''The Texas Tribune'' is a news website headquartered in Austin, Texas. It aims to promote civic engagement through original, explanatory journalism and public events. Its website and content in various delivery platforms serve as an alternativ ...
'' , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Wendy Living people 1963 births 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American women lawyers 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women lawyers 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century American women writers American Episcopalians 21st-century American memoirists American women memoirists Fort Worth City Council members Harvard Law School alumni People from West Warwick, Rhode Island Texas Christian University alumni Texas lawyers Democratic Party Texas state senators Women city councillors in Texas Women state legislators in Texas Writers from Texas